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Palakkad district
| footnotes = }} Palakkad District ( )Tamil:பாலக்காடு மாவட்டம் is one of the 14 districts of the Indian state of Kerala. The city of Palakkad is the district headquarters. Palakkad is bordered on the northwest by the Malappuram District, on the southwest by the Thrissur District and on the east by Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu. The district is 13.62% urbanised.Census GIS India The district is nicknamed "the granary of Kerala" and "rice bowl of Kerala".http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Kochi/article3661990.ece Name In earlier times, Palakkad was also known as Palakkattussery. Some etymologists trace the word "Palakkad" from the word Palai nilam, which means "dry lands". The commonly held belief, however, is that the name is a fusion of two Malayalam words, Pala, a tree called locally "Pala" (Alstonia scholaris) that is found abundantly in Palakkad, and Kadu, which means forest. . History Palakkad's history traces back to the Paleolithic Period confirmed by the presence of a number of megalithic relics discovered from this region. According to William Logan, the author of “Malabar Manual”, the Pallava Dynasty of Kanchi might have invaded Malabar in the second or third century. One of their headquarters was Palakkad, which could be the present Palakkad. For many centuries the Malabar region, along with most parts of Kerala was ruled by Cheras kings (Perumals). Malabar had been invaded by many of the ancient South Indian Rulers. With the decline of Chera dynasty, parts of this district were ruled by Palakkad Rajas who were believed to be a branch of Zamorins (Samudiri Rajavamsam) of Calicut who later declared independence. Some parts were under Kollengode Rajas of Vengunad, Sekharivarma (Raja of Palakkad) of Palakkattussery and the Valluvanad part of the district was ruled by Valluvakonathiris (who are considered to be descendants of a branch of Pallava dynasty who might have ruled parts of Kerala at an earlier date). The Palakkad Region was came under the control of Kollengode Raja and Sekharivarma Raja of Palakkad. For a brief period, some areas of the district near Chittur came under the attack of the nearby Kongu king when the local people resisted the Kongu invasion successfully. When the Kozhikkode Sammoothiri invaded Palakkad in 1757, the Palakkad Raja sought the help of Hyder Ali of Mysore. His help forced the Sammoothiri for retreat. Later Hyder Ali subjugated all territories in Palakkad which were under the possession of Kozhikkode Sammoothiri. Thus whole dominion of Palakkad passed into the control of Hyder Ali and his son Tippu Sultan. The war between East India Company and Tippu Sultan ended with the treaty of 1792 and all the possessions of Tippu in Malabar area ceded to the East India Company and it formed the Malabar District of the Madras Presidency. Palakkad was a part of the Malabar District of Madras Presidency (during the British Raj, until 1947), then came under the princely state of Cochin and Madras state (from 1947 to 1956). It was made a separate district of Kerala when the state was formed in 1956. Palakkad district lost taluks of Ponnani and Perinthalmanna to Malappuram district when the latter was formed in June 1969. Geography mountains as seen from Nemmara village]] It is a predominantly rural district. Coimbatore city of Tamil Nadu lies to the east of Palakkad. Palakkad is the gateway to Kerala due to the presence of the Palakkad Gap, in the Western Ghats. The total area of the district is 4480 km² which is 11.5% of the state's area. Out of the total area of 4480 km², about 1360 km² of land is covered by forests. Most parts of the district fall in the midland region (elevation 75–250 m), except the Nelliampathy-Parambikulam area in the Chittur taluk in the south and Attappadi-Malampuzha area in the north, which are hilly and fall in the highland region (elevation >250 m). Some of the notable peaks in the district are Anginda (2325 m), Karimala (1998 m), Nellikotta or Padagiri (1585 m) and Karimala Gopuram (1439 m). The climate is hot and humid for most part of the year. Palakkad is one of the hottest places in Kerala. There is sufficient rainfall. The district is blessed with many small and medium rivers, which are tributaries of the Bharathapuzha River. A number of dams have been built across these rivers, the largest being Malampuzha dam. The largest in volume capacity is the Parambikulam DamFact sheet on Indian dams at Diehardindian.com Administration The present Palakkad district, as an administrative unit, was formed on 1 January 1957, composed of Palakkad, Perinthalmanna, Ponnani, Ottappalam, Alathur and Chittur. When the Malappuram district was formed on the 16th June 1969, Ponnani taluk (excluding Thrithala firka (tehsil) and the villages of Vadakkekad, Punnayur and Punnayurkulam and Perinthalmanna taluk consisting of Mankada firka and Perinthalmanna firka excluding Karkidamkunnu and Chethalloor amsoms) was transferred to Malappuram district. A new taluk, namely Mannarghat, was formed by grouping 19 villages of the erstwile Perinthalmanna taluk. While retaining the Trithala firka with Ottappalam taluk, the villages of Vadakkekad, Punnayur and Punnayurkulam were brought under Chowghat taluk of Thrissur district. The Paradur village of Tirur taluk was added to Ottappalam taluk. Recently some portions of Karavarakund village of Malappuram district were also added to Palakkad. At present the Palakkad district consists of two revenue divisions, five taluks and 163 villages. The revenue divisions are Palakkad and Ottappalam. Palakkad, Alathur and Chittur taluks form the Palakkad revenue division and Ottappalam and Mannarghat taluks form the Ottappalam revenue division. There are 13 development blocks and 90 panchayats in the district. The total area of the district is 4480 km². Administrative units * Taluks – 5 * C.D. Blocks – 13 * Municipalities – 4 * Corporations – None * Panchayats – 91 * Revenue Villages – 163 * Parliamentary Constituencies – 2 * Assembly Constituencies – 12 (after delimitation) * District Panchayats – 1 * District Panchayat Constituencies – 26 * Block Panchayats – 13 * Block Panchayat Constituencies – 141 * Grama Panchayats – 91 * Grama Panchayat Constituencies – 1178 * Municipal Councils – 4 * Municipal Constituencies – 130 * Total Population 2,617,072 (2001 Census) Taluks of Palakkad District The district is divided into five taluks. Municipalities of Palakkad District The district includes four municipalities, which each belong to a taluk. The municipalities, with population estimates for 2001, are: * Palakkad (pop. 160736) * Shornur (pop. 42022) * Chittur-Tattamangalam (pop. 31884) * Ottapalam (pop. 49230) Kerala Assembly Seats in Palakkad District Sreekrishnapuram, Kuzhalmannam and Kollengode Constituencies have been removed and Kongad, Shoranur, Nemmara and Tarur Constituencies were created during the 2011 General Election, as a result of delimitation for the Kerala Legislative Assembly, increasing the total number of seats coming under Palakkad district to 12. MP(Member of Parliament * Palakkad-MB Rajesh (CPIM) * Alathur – PK BIJU (CPIM) District Panchayat Under the amended Indian Constitution, decentralised planning has been implemented in the state. The headquarters of the District Panchayat is at Palakkad Municipal town. The District Panchayat office building is near the Civil Station. Economy Agriculture is the main occupation. The most prominent crop is rice. Palakkad is known as the Rice Bowl of Kerala. But in recent times, rice cultivation has become unremunerative due to high wages and low prices. Hence, farmers have turned to other crops and the area under rice cultivation has decreased drastically. In the areas bordering Tamil Nadu, crops such as sugar cane, groundnut, tomato, jasmine etc. are cultivated. Rubber is the main crop in the hilly regions. Vegetables like pumpkin, ash gourd, bitter gourd, brinjal, etc. are now cultivated extensively. Tamarind, Neem, Mango and Palm trees are seen in abundance in Palakkad, as in Tamil Nadu. The district is a major centre of export for mangoes and tamarind. Jaggery, which is unrefined sugar, is made from sugarcane in Chittur Taluk. The only big city in the district is the district head quarters, Palakkad.The retail giant Panthaloons BIGBAZAR opened their first showroom of Kerala in this city.Joby's mall,the biggest mall of the city is one of the biggest of the state itself. All major jeweleries of the state has at least one showroom in the town. Biggest brands such as The Raymond, Woodlands, Reebok, Peter England, Scullers, Indigo nation, John Miller, Basics life, Derby, Cotton County, Koutons, Bombay Dyeing, has their own exclusive showrooms in the city. In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Palakkad one of the country's 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640). It is one of the two districts in Kerala currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF). Industry There are various industries in the district. The Public Sector companiesITI Limited and Instrumentation Limited have plants in Kanjikode, 12 km from Palakkad town. Other large companies are the BPL group, Coca Cola and Pepsi. There is an Industrial Area in Kanjikode with a number of medium industries. Established in 1976, the Palakkad unit of ITI Limited manufactures large digital switches and digital trunk exchanges in collaboration with M/s Alcatel of France. A highly productive plant by virtue of its structure, it has a modern facility for PCB manufacture (including multi-layer boards) assembly and automated testing facilities with SMT line and environmental test lab. ITI Palakkad is accredited with ISO 9000 (Manufacturing) and ISO 14000 (Environmental Management System) quality standards. Fluid Control Research Institute (FCRI), a state of art facility for calibration, testing and measurement of various parameters related to fluid flow is also located in Kanjikode. Urbanization The increased migration to the urban area and the growth of entrepreneurs have raised the rate of urbanization to an alarming rate.Many Apartments and lifestyle Malls emerged rapidly within the past 3 years. Most of these Apartments are mainly built to cater the needs of those who migrate here for the ease of their traveling.On the other side,the rapid development is also due to the developments in the industrial town-Kanjikode(12 km from the Palakkad town). Demographics According to the 2011 census Palakkad district has a population of 2,810,892, roughly equal to the nation of Jamaica or the US state of Utah. This gives it a ranking of 138th in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of . Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 7.39%. Palakkad has a sex ratio of 1067 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 88.49%. The main religion is Hinduism, with many castes represented: Namboothiri (Malayali Brahmin), Ezhava, Iyer, Nair (including Menons and Panickers), Pisharody (Malayali Vaishnavite ambalavasi), Hindu Vaisya Castes (Moothan, Guptan, Mannadiar and Tharakan), Ezhuthachan, Chettiar, Mudaliyars, Pathukudi as well as artisan communities such as braziers (Moosari), carpenters (Asari), goldsmiths (Thattan), blacksmiths (Kollan) and potters (Kusavan). There are some tribal peoples living in the forest areas within the Palakkad district. Namboothiris are temple priests. Once upon a time they were highly influential landlords. A few Namboothiri families were also known for their knowledge in astrology and medicine. Nairs were traditionally the warrior caste. They are now actively involved in many professional fields within India and abroad. The Late M. G. Ramachandran who was a famous Tamil film actor later became the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, was from a Nair/Menon family (Maruthoor Menon Family). in Vadavannur at Palakkad district. Ezhavas and Ezhuthachans were mostly farmers, the educated among them are into all fields of work now. Malayalam is widely spoken in the region as other parts of Kerala. As Palakkad district is contiguous to Tamil Nadu, a significant percentage of the population (nearly 25%) speak Tamil."District at a Glance", statistics on Tamil There is also a significant community of Telugu speakers, descended from the members of an invading army who settled in the area. Tamil Brahmins of Palakkad (Palakkad Iyers) are people who centuries ago settled in Palakkad district after migrating from Thanjavur district in the State of Tamil Nadu, at the invitation of Palakkad's ruler. They were settled in 96 villages called Agraharams in different parts of the district. They are basically priests. As part of their cultural heritage, they introduced Carnatic music and Bharatanatyam dance to the area. Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar, Palghat Mani Iyer, and M. D. Ramanathan are some of the prominent local names in the field of Carnatic music. temple of Killikkurussimangalam).|thumb|right|200px]] Palakkad also has a Moothan community, who are followers of Hinduism and reside primarily in Moothanthara. They are believed to have come from the neighboring state of Tamil Nadu in historic times. They engage in business and commerce. Muslims are in the majority in the areas bordering Malappuram district. Here almost every family has male relatives working in the Gulf region. Due to the remittances from these people, the area has improved economically in the recent years. The earliest Christians in the district were from Thrissur, who settled at Melarcode around 1550 CE as traders of coconut oil and spices. Later on, Christians from Idukki and Kottayam districts migrated to Palakkad and made the hilly terrains of the district their homes. Languages The official language Malayalam is widely spoken in this district, while English, Hindi and Tamil are also spoken and understood by many people. Languages used in this district include Allar, a Dravidian language with 350 speakers; and Aranadan, another Dravidian tongue, kept alive by the low level of education of its native speakers numbering about 200. Transport Palakkad Junction is an important station on the Southern Railway. Places like Pollachi, Dindigul and Madurai are connected by the meter gauge track beginning here. The trains on the meter gauge are the lifeline for the people of the district, bringing vegetables, fish and dairy products. The office of the Palakkad Division of the Southern Railway is situated near Palghat Junction Railway Station. The trains coming from Tamil Nadu are diverted to north and south Kerala from Shoranur station in Palakkad District. From here there is train service to Calicut, Ernakulam, Trivandrum, Shoranur and Nilambur. Palakkad has a medium grade network of roads. The Salem-Kanyakumari National Highway 47 and the Palakkad-Kozhikode National Highway 213 pass through the district. Another important road is the Palakkad – Ponnani road which connects NH 47 and NH 17. The nearest Airport is at Coimbatore which is 60 km from the town. It offers connections to all parts of India. Air Deccan, SpiceJet, JetLite, Kingfisher airlines, Goair, Paramount airways, Indian Airlines and Air India are the major operators. Hospitals * Ottapalam Welfare Trust Ottapalam Eyecare Hospital * Thangam Hospital of PMRC, Palakkad * Ahalia Eye Hospital * Lakshmi Hospital Festivals Nenmara Vallanghy Vela Nenmara Vallanghy Vela is celebrated in the malayalam month of meenam 20(April 3 in most of the cases). This is one of the major festival in kerala which attracts people inside and outside from kerala. The highlight of Nemmara-Vallangi Vela is fireworks known as "Vedikettu". Both sides shows beautiful arrangements in it.The special is the kootu.This is considered as the biggest fireworks in the World without using modern and newer pyrotechnics. The famous elephants will be participate in the two sides and the panchavadyam, Pandimelam, Aanapanthal are also the speciality of this festival. Kalpathy Ratholsavam Kalpathy Ratholsavam is celebrated in the month of November every year in 4 different temples in Kalpathy – Vishalakshy sametha Sree Viswanatha Swami Temple, Manthakkara Mahaganapathy Temple, Lakshminarayana Perumal Temple and Prassanna Mahaganapathy Temple (Chathapuram). Valliya Aaraattu – Karnaki Amman Temple – Moothanthara One of the main festivals is the "Valiya Aarratu" festival which is celebrated by the Moothan community for seven days in the Malayalam month of the Medam Masam Punertham Star. On the day of Valiya Arrattu, worshipers are served food, Annadhanam (meals) are given as Prasadam. The materials for organizing this event are fully sponsored by the devotees of Karnaki who, by and large, are merchants. Velas In the months of March and April, after the harvests, festivals called Vela are celebrated in many villages. These festivals consist of a parade of caparisoned elephants, a traditional orchestra of percussion instruments (called Panchavadyam, Thayambaka, Pandimelam, etc.) and fireworks. These festivals are very popular, attracting people from the neighboring districts. Nemmara Vallangi Vela, Chinakkathur Pooram of Palappuram and Vayilliamkunnu Pooram of Kadampazhipuram, "Akathethara Thekkethara KARTHIKA VELA" are the most prominent among them. Vishnu Vela of Thumbalamkad is one of the most entertaining festivals in Palakkad.and other Cheramkulangara vela, is celebrated on Vishu day, April 14 (Medam onnu). The Vela season comes to an end with Mudappallur,kannambra& Mangalam Vela'', which usually happens in the month of May. .]] Every Year Meenam (Malayala masam)the great Thenur Vela is one of the most entertaining festivals in Palakkad.'' are celebrated in many villages. These festivals consist of a parade of caparisoned elephants, a traditional orchestra of percussion instruments (called Panchavadyam, Thayambaka, Pandimelam, etc.) and fireworks. These festivals are very popular, attracting people from the neighboring districts. '' Other Major Festivals The Navrathri Festival celebrated annually in Kodunthirapully Village is also famous. This village has the distinction of having two groups that celebrate the same festival, one on Ashtami and the other on Navami (different days in the festival cycle), often with a lot of competitive edge. The festival culminates with a parade of caprisoned elephants, panchavadyam, a fireworks display and musical stage shows. Pattambi Nercha – Celebrated in Pattambi and nearby areas on the second Sunday of February in remembrance of Aloor Valiya Pookoya Thangal. Another very famous festival is the "Puthur Vela". It is the annual festival held during the month of April by the Puthur "Sree Thirupuraykal Bhagavathy Kshetram" where 15 elephants unite for the famous "Kudamattom" performance. Thayambaka and panchavadhyam provide the music for the festival. The annual Ultsavam at the Thiruvegappura Maha Kshetram is a large attraction to devotees. The annual Sivarathri festival in East Vennakkara of the Palakkad municipality is in honor of Shiva. Assorted Other Festivals * Kalikavu Vela,Mankurrushi,Vellarode * Kaimakunnathu bhagavathy Vela,Pathirippala,Mannur * Edathara Vishu Vela,Edathara and 5th mile * Thalappoli Festival of Mannathu Bhagavathi Temple, Mundur * Kummatti Festival of Mundur *Cheramkulangara bhagavathi vela,Paruthipulli * Kodumbu Ratholsavam festival * Padur Vela at Sri Ayyappan Temple (Panicknarappan), Padur in the month of February every year. * Sri Ammakavu bagavathi temple, koottanad, pooram on kumbam masam * Kongan Pada – Chittur * Karivela-(7 days)- Chittur * Manappullikavu Vela * Vadakkanthara Vela (once every 3 years) * Koduvayoor Ratholsavam * Tattamangalam Kuthira Vela * Kannyar Kali at Vadavannur, Coyalmannam, Puthucode, Kattussery * Thattamangalam Ayyappan Festival at West Village * Mannarkkad Pooram * Pattanchery Kummatty, Karivela, followed by Pavakoothu and Koothabhishekam * Mathur Kooth Festival (April – May), Mathur Padinjharethara Kalikavil Bhagawathy Temple, Mathur, Palakkad. * Pariyanampatta Pooram * Puthanalkal Kala Vela, Cherpulassery * Sri Krishna Jayanthi (anniversary), Sri Krishna Temple, Kunnathurmedu, Palakkad. * Sri Ayyappan temple Sasthapuram-Kottayi (Uthram/Atham Vilakku) * Sri Ardhanaariswara Temple (Mathur & Chembai Gramam) * Sri "Sangeetha Chakravarthy" Chembai Vaidyanatha Bagawathar Memmorial-Kottayi. * Sri Kodikkattukavu Ulsavam, Vadakkencherry * Sri Ganapathy Sahayam – Sri Naga Sahayam Vela, Vadakkencherry * Sri Kandathaar Bagavathy Temple,Varode-Kottayi. (Kandathar vela) * Sri Mundiyan Bagavathy Temple, Kottachantha-kottayi, (Vishu vela) * Sri Perinkulangara Bagavathy Temple, Kottayi.(Vishu vela) * Sri Valiyammakkavu Temple, Kalikavu-Kottayi (Vishu vela) * Sri Kothakulangara Bagavathy Temple, Kariyankode-Kottayi (Kathir vela) * Sri Kurumba Bagavathy Temple, Pulinelli-Kottayi (Kathir vela) * Sri Siva, Subramania Temples, Ayyapankavu Gramam, Chembai gramam, Ayilam gramam & Pulinelli gramam. * SRI THEKKIYAMMAKKAVE ARATTE, PUTHUR, ON MEENAMASAM – CHITHRA * Sri Kunnapullikavu Bagavathy Temple, Ezhakkad (Vishu Vela) * Sri Muneeswaran kavu Mandalavaliyavilakku Maholthsavam PALAKKAD,MEPPARAMBU * Sri Kallur Sri Krishna Temple Uthsavam, Kallur,Palakkad * Sri Perumanchira Bhagavathy Temple Kali – Thalappoli Mahothsavam, Kallur,PLKD * Sri Kallampakka Bhagavathy Temple Vela mahothsavam, Kallur Vela * Kavalappara Ariyankavu Pooram (festival for 21 days and pooram on Meenam 21 or April 4 every year) *Kavassery Pooram ( Very Famous For Fire Works Next to Nemmara Vela) *Thiruvazhiyad Koothabhishekam Vela *Kattussery-Pudiyankam Vela( Its A Competition b/n two place) *Deepavali Vavutsavam(Trippalur Shiva Temple) *Cheruppil kavu Ayyappan vilakku,puduppariyaram(prathishtadhinam) *Sri Cherunatoori Bagavathy Kshethram – Chittilamchery (Prathishtadhinam & Aaratu) *'Sri Vennakkara Manappully Bhagavathy Kshetram Prathishta Dina Maholthsavam(Noorani Vennakkara) '''Nallepilly chunangi Bhagavathi Temple KOOTHU ABISHEKAM (Fourteen days) Places of worship * Nellikkulangara Bhagavathy Temple -Vallanghy, Nenmara. * Kalpathy,2.5 km from Palakkad town. * Siva Kshetram -Vallanghy, Nenmara. * Sri Thirumandhamkunnu Bhagavathy Temple, Kongad – very famous for Kongad Pooram * Sri Mancheri Bhagavathy Temple, Mancherikkavu, Kongad – Mancherikkavu Kummatty is very famous * Sri Narasimha Moorthy Temple, Parasseri, Peringode (Kongad) * Sri Kurumba Bhagavathy Temple, Cheraya, Kongad * Sri Mookambika Temple, Parasseri, Kongad * Sri Nagamkulangara Bhagavathy Temple, Thadukkasseri, Kongad * Sreekrishna Temple, Pazhaya Gramam, Nenmara * Siva Temple -Pothundy, Vallanghy Village, Nenmara. * Manthakkara Mahagnapathy temple situated in Kalpathy, 2.5 km from Palakkad town. * Lakshminarayna Swami temple situated in Kalpathy, 2.5 km from Palakkad town. * Prasanna Mahaganapathy temple * Palakeezh Bhagavathi Kshetram, Mundur * Mannathu Bhagavathi Temple, Mundur * Sri Manniyambathoor Saraswathi Temple, Kodumunda, Pallippuram, Pattambi * Sri Parakkat Bhagavathy Temple in Kavaserry at Alathur is famous for Kavaserry Pooram. * The Kaikkottu Bagavathy Temple is very famous. "Kumbabishekam" is celebrated annually in the month of April. * The Anjaneya (Lord Hanuman) Temple inside Palakkad Fort attracts many devotees. * Chittur kavu – Devi temple. * Cherubala Kenanpulli Mala Chittur * Manappulli kavu – Devi temple. * Pudussery kavu – a Devi temple. The annual pooram festival starts at Pudussery in the Malayalam month of Meenam. * Pallassena kavu – a temple located 20 km from Palakkad town. * Lord Shiva (Brahmeeswaran) Temple situated in Karimpuzha village, 25 km from Palakkad town. * Killikkurussi Mahadeva Temple at Killikkurussimangalam around 8 km from Ottappalam city. * Vaazhaali Bhagavathi Temple, Nellikkurissi, Mulanjoor, Ottappalam. * Sree Kurumba Temple, Karakurissi. * Chenakkathoor kavu, Ottappalam. * Shree Periya Maariyamman Kovil, Sakthi Nagar , Melamuri, Palakkad. * Mangottu Kavu Temple, Athipotta, Palakkad * Sri Puliilla Bhagavathy Temple, Karingarapully. * Lord Subramania Temple – Kodumbu. * Lord Shiva Temple – Pattanchery. * Puthanalkkal Temple – Cherpulasseri * Chittur Kavu – Chittur * sri Kunnappullikavu Bagavathy Temple,Ezhakkad – (Near-Kongad) * Sri Mundiyankavu Temple, M.L.A Road Junction, Kanhikulam – (Near-Mundur) * Sri Sathramkavu Bagavathy Temple, Sathramkavu, (Near-Mundur) * Sri Palakizikavu Bagavthi Temple,Mundur * Sri Chemminikavu Bagavathi Temple.Kinavallur(Near-Parli) * Sri Thrikana Thevar Kshetram,Kattussery,Near Alathur * Sri Mavundathara Bhagavathi Temple (Moosari kavu) * Sri Cheruppil Bhagavathi temple,Industrial estate,puduppariyaram * Sri Emoor Bhagavathi Temple,Kallekulanghara * Sri Palakeezhu Bhagavathi Temple,Mundur,Palakkad * Jain temple,Jainimedu,palakkad * Puthur Sree thirupuraykal bhagavathy Kshetram * Sri Cherunatoori Bagavathy Kshethram – Chittilamchery * Sri Perungootu Kavu Bagavathy Kshethram * Sri Puthukulangara Bhagawathy Temple, Alathur * Sri Akalur Bhagavathy Temple,Akalur,Pathiripala * Sri Simhanatha Bagavathy Temple, Tharekkad, Palakkad * Sri Vishalakshisametha Viswanatha Swamy Temple, Tharekkad, Palakkad * Sri Neerathu Ganapathy Temple, Tharekkad, Palakkad * Sri Thirumanangattappan Siva Temple, Kavalpad/Kavilpad, Palakkad * Panankurissi kavu Pooram, Chethallur * Nallepilly Sri Chunangi Bhagavathi Temple (Koothabishekam) Schools and Colleges There are a number of schools and colleges, including engineering colleges. Government Victoria College (3) was founded in 1866 and has many eminent persons as its former students. They include E. M. S. Namboodiripad, (the first Chief Minister of Kerala and Communist Party leader), T. N. Seshan, former Chief Election Commissioner, E. Sreedharan, the architect of Konkan Railway and Delhi Metro, writers like O. V. Vijayan and M. T. Vasudevan Nair and cartoonist Ravi Shankar. The NSS College of Engineering (4) is an institution founded in 1960 by the Nair Service Society. The undergraduate admission into this engineering college is based on merit ranking in the Kerala engineering entrance exam. A sizeable number of seats are also reserved for students belonging to socially deprived castes and religious minorities, such as Muslims. The major engineering departments are Civil, Electrical and Electronics, Mechanical, Electronics & Communication, Instrumentation & Control and Computer science Engineering. The Chembai Memorial Music College, Government College Chittur, and NSS Colleges at Ottapalam and Nemmara are some of the older colleges in Palakkad.MES College Mannarghat, Run by Muslim Educational Society,Jamia Hasaniyya Islamiyya, Kallekkad, Islamic Central School Ottapalam, Katampazhipuram High School Royal dental college chalissery, Karuna Medical College Chittur, Arabic College Parli. The Government Engineering College, Sreekrishnapuram is a technical education institute established in 1999 in the Palakkad district of Kerala. The college is fully owned by the Government of Kerala and is governed by the Directorate of Technical Education, Kerala.The institute has three engineering departments:Computer Science and Engineering, Electronics and Communication Engineering, Information Technology. The college also offers Post Graduation Courses in Computational Linguistics. Some of the notable and older schools of the districts include, Government Moyan Model Girls Higher Secondary School, Pandit Motilal Nehru Government (PMG) School, Basel Evangelical Mission Higher Secondary School (Mission School), Kanikkamatha Convent English Medium Higher Secondary School, Bharatha Matha Higher Secondary School, Vyasa Vidhya Peethom Central School. Places of interest .]] * The "Anjumoorthy" temple at Anjumoorthy Managalam, a village in Palakkad, is a unique temple. It is considered to be the only temple in India where Sudarshana Chakra, a sharp spinning wheel carried by Lord Vishnu, is the primary deity. The belief is that Sudarshana Chakram self-manifested (Swayambhu) in the area where the temple now stands. * Palakkad Fort – Situated in the heart of town, this is the most beautiful and best preserved fort in Kerala, recalling many old tales of valour and courage. The Fort, which dates back to 1766, was built by Hyder Ali of Mysore. In 1784, after a siege which lasted for eleven days, British Col. William Fullarton (1754–1808) stormed the fort. Later it fell into the hands of the Zamorin’s troops, but was recaptured by the British in 1790. This well-preserved fort is also known as Tipu's Fort, after Tipu Sultan the son of Hyder Ali. It is under the protection of the Archaeological Survey of India. * Malampuzha dam garden – A large irrigation dam on the Bharatapuzha river, at the base of the Western Ghats. There are beautiful gardens, an amusement park for children and a boating facility on the reservoir. * Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary, sprawling over 285 km²., is 135 km from Palakkad and adjacent to the Indira Gandhi National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu. Besides being an abode of elephants, wild boar, sambar, bison, guar, crocodiles, and a few tigers and panthers, it has a rich assortment of semi-tropical plants and trees. Trekking in the forest is allowed with prior permission. Boating can be done at the lake. The ''Cannimare Teak Tree, which is said to be Asia’s largest, is here near Thunakadavu. * Silent Valley National Park – A thick rain forest, with many rare species, it has been declared a National Park. It is 80 km. from Palakkad. It is popularly known as the "Evergreen Forest" and noted for its eerie silence because of the lack of cicadas, which are common elsewhere. It is an important biosphere reserve in the Western Ghats and the home of tribal people. The valley is a habitat for the rare Lion-Tailed Macaque. The park is also a protected area for tigers. * Killikkurussimangalam – The birth place of Kunchan Nambiar, the great Malayalam satirical poet and creator of the Ottamthullal art form. There is a library dedicated to him in the village. The very famous and old Killikkurussi Siva temple is situated here. The home of abhinaya (acting) authority, Natyacharya Vidushakaratnam Padma Shri Guru Mani Madhava Chakyar (who took Koodiyattam to new heights), is also a special cultural attraction of the village. The Mani Madhava Chakyar Smaraka Gurukulam, a school devoted to the teaching of Koodiyattam, is located at the same site. '' Shiva temple of Kiillikkurussimangalam|thumb|200px]] mountains.]] * Nelliyampathi – Known as the Ooty of Kerala, about 80 km from Palakkad. It is a hill station in the forest between a series of ridges cut off from one another by valleys of dark evergreen forests * Sholayar – Highest peak in the district, with coffee and tea plantations. * Attappady – About 38 km. northeast of Mannarkkad. It is a place of great interest to anthropologists, as many Irulas and Mudugars live here. These Adivasis worship the mountain peak Malleswaran as a gigantic Shiva Lingam. This peak and the River Bhavani are of great mythological significance to the tribes. * Walayar Dam – It is around 25 km from Palakkad town, on the border of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It is an easily accessible location. There is also a deer park located 3 km from Walayar. * Chulanur – A peacock sanctuary. * Sholayar Forest – Highest peak in the district, with coffee and tea plantations and Sholayar dam bordering Valparai and Athirapally Waterfalls near Chalakkudy. * Dhoni – A reserve forest area about 15 km. from Palakkad. This forest has many interesting sights including a small but splendid waterfall. The site can be reached after a fairly long climb of three hours from the base of the Dhoni hills. * Jain Temple of Jainimedu – Situated on the western border of Palakkad town, not far from the Railway station, is a historic Jain Temple. The place around the temple is known as Jainimedu. This is one of the few places in Kerala where the vestiges of Jainism in Kerala have survived. The granite walls are devoid of decoration. The 32 × 20 ft. temple consists of four divisions with images of Jain Thirthankaras and Yakshinis in three of them. Kumaran Asan wrote his monumental poem Veena Poovu (The Fallen Flower) at a Jain house here during a brief stay with his master Sri Narayana Guru. Pre-historic finds in Palakkad *Mesolithic implements found at Chevayur, Palakkad *Pre-historic sites discovered at Kollengode, Palakkad *Prehistoric posthole sites unearthed in Palakkad See also *Kerala *Palakkad *Nenmara Vallanghy Vela *Nelliyampathy *Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary *Malampuzha Dam *Silent Valley National Park *List of districts in Kerala References Satellite Images * Satellite image of Palakkad * Road map of Palakkad External links * Official website for Palakkad * Palakkad District Tourism-Information Category:Districts of Kerala Category:Palakkad district Category:Established in 1956